Huntsville gazette., 1887-04-02
SUNDAY IN ST LOUIS.

Governor Marmaduke of Missouri Signs
the Measure Which Closes the st. Louis Sa.
looms on the Sabbath-The Saloon-K Keep.
ers Perturbed-A Preachers Opinion.
ST. LOUIS, March 29-Between four and
fve o'clock yesterday afternoon the news
flashed from saloon to saloon within
radius of half dozen blocks of the court
house that Governor Mlrmaiuke had
signed the measure known as the ''repeal
of the law of 1857" 1t had been con-
idently anticipated by majority
of the prominent 1iquor-dealers
that the Governor would sipocket veto"
the measure, and when it was announced
that he had signed it, they refused to be-
confirming the news, and op-
ponents of the measure felt that
their only hope lay in the courts,
to be tested. The Governors action was a
Waterloo to the hopes of the saloon men
and others who are directly interested in
the matter. 'When the Governor signs
it, and don't believe he WILL" said ex-
President Bremen, of the Saloon keepers
Association, it will be time enough to act"
Others who believed the Governor would
sign the repeal, have been at work pre-
pairing to meet the cyclone and even went
so far as to call meeting Of saloon-keep-
ers about two weeks ago.
AS it stands the Downing law will be-
come law on the lst of July, and the peo-
pie whose interests are affected are gwen
until that time to trim their sails to the
breeze and prevent swamping.
At Fausts last night the law was the
almost exclusive topic of discussion. The
proprietor who was i'll, had retired early,
but his manager says that If the courts
pronounce the law valid he will close his
bar on Sunday. The restaurant, which
comes under the head of necessities"
will remain open.
Rev. S. j. Niccolls, D. d., was seen last
night by a reporter, who was the first to
inform him of the Governors action in
the matter He said: 81 am exceed
ingly glad that the Governor has done
this, and am sure that he reflects
the convictions of the moral
and lawabiding element in this city
and elsewhere. l, for one, am greatly re-
joiced at the moral firmness he has dis
played, for l can well understand what
powerful influences have been brought
to bear on him to veto the bill. All honor
to the Governor for the bold stand he has
taken in this matter. l believe that
the execution of this law in st.
Louis, while it will meet with great op-
position will result in the repression of
crime and vice to very large degree 1t
is an undisputcd fact that the opening of
the saloons on Sunday produces more
crime and disorder on that day than on
any other day in the week. | believe that
if the authorities are really in. earnest
that law can be enforced here as in New
York, Philadelphia. Baltimore, Washing
ton City, and even New Orleans. New
York has larger foreign population by
four-fold than we have, and yet the Sun
day closing is enforced in that city. We
do not ask for the closing of the saloons
special y on religious grounds, but sim
ply in the interest Of good morals and the
welfare of the community We as
ministers do not desire the
enforcement of what are known
as puritanical laws in the observance of
the Sabbath. Each man must be free to
act according to the dictates of his own
conscience, yet he must not turn liberty
into license, or use it in such way as to
injure others or promote vice and crime
We also recognize the fact that the
necessities of city life jus ify cer-
tain amount of work which was not nee
essarV under former conditions of So
ciety. Some things must be done in the
city on the Sabbath, which would not be
justified by the plea of necessity or mercy
in the country. So it is that Sunday laws
framed for city life fifty years agc
may not be applicable in all their
details to the present condition. But as
this law Of 1857 specially referred to the
saloons, it is to be hoped that its applica-
tion will bear directly upon them. At the
earliest opportunity the paper which ]
was authorized by the Eva igelical ALI
ance to prepare on this subject will be
presented to the public.